Marry me
by thesilentlamb
Summary: Post ep for 'The Goop on the Girl' so minor spoilers. BB.


**The Christmas episode was lovely and gooey and I really wished we'd seen a little bit more at the end, so here's my take on things. I'm not too happy with the ending, so I may do another chapter if you lovely reviewers wish it, although I may need to find a beta to help with with the *ahem* details. **

**Was also thinking of doing a role reversal fic where Booth has to undress Brennan for evidence? Probably massively clichéd, but I'll write if you want to read it. **

Brennan finished the last of the dishes and made her way through the apartment to the sitting room. She was surprised to find Booth lying on the couch, his head on one arm and his feet on the other, his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face. She had thought he'd left with the other guests. Brennan watched him for a moment and then quietly set about picking the last of the debris from the party – bits of Christmas cracker littered the floor and paper hats and jokes were scattered across the coffee table.

"Bones?" Brennan looked over at Booth to see he had cracked open one eye. "Stop doing that for a moment and come sit down. You must be exhausted from looking after everyone all day".

"I'm ok Booth, whilst I _am_ tired, it was surprisingly satisfying to entertain such a large party. I'm starting to see why people don't like spending Christmas alone."

Booth smiled and suddenly whipped out an arm and caught Brennan around the waist, pulling her down next to him so she was wedged between his hip and the couch, her legs over his abdomen. Brennan made a surprised noise that sounded suspiciously like a girly squeal and Booth chuckled, bringing his other arm to rest across her legs.

"Booth! What are you…?"

"Aw, c'mon. Don't I get a Christmas hug?" Booth implored her with his best puppy dog eyes. Brennan laughed and rolled her eyes, but laid her arm across his and pulled it up slightly so it was around her waist. She looked suddenly thoughtful.

"What's up Bones?"

"Thank you for coming today Booth. To the funeral as well, I mean. I think it meant a lot to that woman to have us there."

Booth looked at her, his eyes soft in the dim lighting.

"You know Bones, I meant what I said earlier. You do feel more than people give you credit for."

Brennan gazed down at him contemplatively and then seemed to make up her mind, leaning over and hugging him tightly. Booth pulled her down onto his chest and shifted so she was lying on the couch, he on his side next to her, trapping her between himself and the cushions. He smiled down at her and stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek. Brennan leant into his touch and closed her eyes, the smallest of smiles straying across her lips.

Booth gazed at her face and wondered for the thousandth time since his dream what it would be like to be married to this woman. To have permission to touch her like this whenever, wherever he felt like it. It struck him that one day, he _would_ ask her. It would tear him to pieces if she said no, but he suddenly knew with absolute certainty that he would propose. He felt it in his very soul. Just as he knew that they would kiss again someday and that eventually he would take her into his bed; he simply couldn't comprehend a future without these events. It was a matter of _when, _not _if._

_Marry me, Bones. _Just imagining the words gave him butterflies. He smiled to himself and pulled her closer, his hand on the back of her neck, his thumb straying across her jaw.

_Marry me, Bones._

Her eyes shot open and his stomach dropped as he realised what he'd just unintentionally said out loud. Brennan lifted herself up on one elbow and looked down at him in shock.

"What?" she almost whispered.

"Bones, I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that"

"You didn't mean it, or you didn't mean to _say_ it?"

Booth opened his mouth to take it back, but something about the look in her eyes stopped him. _To hell with it_

"I meant it Bones. I didn't mean to say it, but I have now so I may as well say it all." Booth swallowed and closed his eyes, drawing on his inner reserves of courage. He had never been so scared of anything in his life as he was of what he was about to say.

"I love you. And not in an 'attagirl' kind of way. I'm _in_ love with you. I want what we had in my dream. I want you to marry me. I want us to spend our lives together. I want you to have my babies." He shook his head and opened his eyes, turning to look up at Bones, who he was sure, would be about to flee from the couch leaving him lying there like a fool. But she was staring at him with the softest look he had ever seen on her face. She looked at him for a long moment and then whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Okay".

Booth stared at her. "Okay? You're saying you're okay with me saying all of that? Really?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying, okay. I will."

"You will?"

"Marry you." Brennan was biting her lip "I still don't really believe in marriage, but I know it's important to you. And I want everything else you just said. With you." She looked at him with a quizzical expression and suddenly sounded much more like herself as she asked him "Booth? Are you ok?"

Booth was dumbstruck. He searched her eyes, looking for the joke, the punch line. Their lips were a hair's breadth away from each other and he felt her breath mingling with his as he inhaled. Then his lips were on hers, and his hand found its way to the back of her head again as he pulled her down into his arms. His heart was thumping and he could feel hers racing against his chest.

Brennan shuddered as Booth kissed her, with such tenderness and love; she had never been kissed like this and she felt a wave of contentment begin to counteract the screaming nerves that were currently in charge of her body. How on earth one man could make her feel so comfortable and so _wanted _all at once was beyond her comprehension, but she gave herself into it and let him lead the way.

Booth grinned against her lips and made an early New Year's resolution – to show this woman, _really_ show her, what it was to be loved.


End file.
